San Francisco Call, Volume 83, Number 7, 7 December 1897 — Pioneer Days in Tombstone. [ARTICLE]

Pioneer Days in Tombstone.

Washington Post. Captain John il. Behan, who is at the Rlggs, was the first Sheriff ever appointed for the county of which Tombstone, Ariz., was the ] county seat, receiving his commission from General Fremont, who was his warm personal friend. Captain Rohan is a small man, weighing only about 125 pound?, but the major part thereof is clean grit and wiry activity. When he was named for Sheriff the celebrated Wyatt Earp was also »• candidate — the same E irp that Alfred Henry L.uvU lambasted sj lustily for his decision in the prizefight out in California. Earp's tailuve to get iiio place made htm Bora with the winner, and he longed for a chance to Eel even with IVlian. "There was in those days," said Behnn, "a good deal of highway robbery an,d cattle-steal-ing going on in the country round about Tombstone. !Stngt> coaches were held up by A gang of bucditi, who had evidently adopted the business as a regulnr profession. This was la the early 'SO's. Virgil Earp, brother to Wyatt, whs City Marshal of Tombstone. Tb.o Clanton brothers and the McLowrys ware tjx t- ugh lot of rustleis who were the main per- L petrators of the ras^iiiiy rile in that region. y Between them and the harps rose a bitter f. u*i . over the division of the proceeds of the looting „' The Kuril boys b?lievcu they had failed 10 gel a (air divide of ttie Dooty and swore vengeance. They ctught their lonnur allies in Tombsione unarmed and >hot three of them dead wnlio tneir hands were uplifted. "With this slangmer the thieving business stopped, but the country became en lr.'ly too warm for the shivers. They were hauled up be to re a Justice ol the PeecJ for a preliminary hearing, but he was probably 'seen,' and after j a long examination discharged the pri oners. ■ Warrants were issued lor their arrest. and, summoning a posse, I went out to bring the Earps in. They were chased entirely out of the country and TomDstoue knew them no more. It was a great town in those dayswith a population of at least 9000. Now it la an insignificant vMage of only a few hun, d red, and a I the wild sptriis that Rave it unenviable fame have either died off or are scattered over the face of tie earth."

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